'Hamstrung' - Journalist: Everton turn up to knife fight with banana after transfer window

Everton are turning up to a knife fight with a banana in the Premier League after their spending in the transfer window, according to Tim Spiers.

Writing in The Athletic (3 September), Spiers suggested that the Toffees’ precarious financial situation may have “hamstrung” their ability to compete in the Premier League.

Sean Dyche’s side spent roughly £40million on permanent transfers this summer [The Athletic, 9 August], as well as bringing in four players on loan, but that was offset by selling £70m worth of talent at the same time.

Spiers said: “With Everton still severely restricted by their financial situation, they probably couldn’t have done much more.

“But when you consider what the rest of the Premier League spent, they basically turned up to a knife fight armed with a banana.”

Everton fans won’t be happy with lack of transfer window spending

It’s well known that available cash hasn’t been easy to come by in recent years at Goodison Park, but supporters will still have been keen to see their side at least break even this summer.

Spending less on just three new permanent transfers than they collected for one player in the form of Amadou Onana, the Blues have instead recorded a £30m profit on their incomings and departures.

Although the club do have options to make the loan signings of Jesper Lindstrom and Armando Broja permanent [Florian Plettenberg, 27 August], it remains to be seen if they will happen in 12 months’ time.

A horror start to the season has seen the Toffees lose three matches from three, conceding 10 goals and scoring just two, pitting Dyche’s side firmly amid relegation trouble yet again.

With the club still shrouded in uncertainty as takeover talks drag on in the background, committing further millions on the loanees looks like a pipe dream – as does staying up comfortably this season.

In other Everton news, two key Toffees defenders are unlikely to be fit for their first match after the upcoming international break.

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